Alma Bridwell White
| birth_place = Lewis County, Kentucky | death_date = | death_place = Zarephath, New Jersey | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | residence = | nationality = American | other_names = | known_for = First woman bishop of the United States. Noted supporter of the Ku Klux Klan. | education = | employer = | occupation = Bishop in Pillar of Fire Church | title = | salary = | networth = | height = | weight = | term = | predecessor = | successor = Arthur Kent White | party = | boards = | religion = Pillar of Fire Church | spouse = | partner = | children = Ray Bridwell White Arthur Kent White | parents = Mary Ann Harrison (1832–1921) William Moncure Bridwell (1825–1907) | relatives = Arlene White Lawrence, grandaughter Kathleen M. White, daughter-in-law | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} promoting Bishop White's view of the Roman Catholic Church in The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy 1925.]] Alma Bridwell White (June 16, 1862 – June 26, 1946) was the founder, and a bishop, of the Pillar of Fire Church. In 1918, she became the first woman bishop in the United States. She was noted for her association with the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey and her Anti-Catholicism, Anti-Semitism, and hostility to immigrants. Birth and early years She was born as Mollie Alma Bridwell on June 16, 1862 in Kinniconick, Lewis County, Kentucky to William Moncure Bridwell (1825–1907) of Virginia; and Mary Ann Harrison (1832–1921) of Kentucky.Bridwells in the 1870 US Census in Millersburg, KentuckyWilliam and Mary married on March 19, 1851. Her siblings include: Martha Gertrude Bridwell (1853–?) who was born on March 18, 1852 and married a Davis; James Robert Bridwell (1853–?) who was born on March 18, 1852; Emery Bascom Bridwell (1856–1928) who was born on Valentines Day, February 14, 1856 and died on March 28, 1928; Amanda Frances Bridwell (1857–?) who was born on May 31, 1857, married a Savage, and died on March 23, 1938; Ann Eliza Bridwell (1859–1953) who was born on December 16, 1859, married a Boardman, and died on September 26, 1953; Venora Ella Bridwell (1861–1942) who was born on January 18, 1861, married David E. Metlen in 1887, and died on May 9, 1942 in Dillon, Montana; Teresa West Bridwell (1865–1944) who was born on August 16, 1862, married a Meade, and died on May 30, 1944; Kate Laura Bridwell (1867–1935) who was born on February 22, 1867, married a Ferrell, and died on November 3, 1935; Rollie Taylor Bridwell (1868–1947) who was born on September 3, 1868 and died on May 23, 1947; and Charles William Bridwell (1872–1952) who was born on July 25, 1872 and died on January 21, 1952. William Baxter Godbey converted her to Wesleyan Methodism in a Kentucky schoolhouse revival meeting in 1878. She wrote that "some were so convicted that they left the room and threw up their suppers, and staggered back into the house as pale as death." By 1880 the family was living in Millersburg, Kentucky.Bridwells in the 1880 US Census in Millersburg, Kentucky She studied at the Millersburg Female College in Millersburg, Kentucky. An aunt invited one of the seven Bridwell sisters to visit Montana Territory, Alma was her last choice. Each of the others was afraid to make the journey, but in 1882, nineteen-year-old Alma took the chance and went to Bannack, Montana. She stayed to teach, first in public school, and later in Salt Lake City's Methodist seminary. In 1887 she married Kent White (1860–1940), who at the time was a Methodist seminarian. They had two sons, Ray Bridwell White and Arthur Kent White. Alma and Kent started the Methodist Pentecostal Union Church in Denver, Colorado in December 1901. She led hymns and prayers and at times preached sermons. In 1907 Caroline Garretson, formerly Carolin Van Neste Field, widow of Peter Workman Garretson, donated a farm for a community at Zarephath, New Jersey. In 1918, White was consecrated as a bishop by William Baxter Godbey, an ordained Methodist evangelist. While Godbey's obituary published by the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, following his death said "He was neither a pastor nor a presiding elder", Godbey was appointed presiding elder of the Barboursville District in 1873, and the London Mission District from 1874 to 1876. See Barry W. Hamilton (2000). William Baxter Godbey: Itinerant Apostle of the Holiness Movement (Edwin Mellen Press):45. ISBN 0-7734-7815-9. She was now the first woman bishop in the United States. Politics: Feminism, Intolerance and the KKK As a feminist, White was a forceful advocate of equality for white Protestant women. However, she was also uncompromising in her persistent and powerful attacks of religious and racial minorities, justifying both equality for white Protestant women and inequality for minorities as biblically mandated. While the vast majority of her most vicious political attacks targeted the Roman Catholic Church, she also promoted Antisemitism, White supremacy and intolerance of certain immigrants. Under White's leadership in the 1920s, the Pillar of Fire Church developed a close and public partnership with the Ku Klux Klan that was unique for a religious denomination. She saw the Klan as a powerful force that could help liberate white Protestant women, while simultaneously keeping minorities in their place. Her support of the Klan was extensive. She allowed and sometimes participated in Klan meetings and cross burnings on some of the numerous Pillar of Fire properties. She published The Good Citizen, a monthly periodical which heavily promoted the Klan and its agenda. Additionally, she published three books, The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy, Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty, and Heroes of the Fiery Cross, which were compendiums of the essays, speeches and cartoons that had originally been published in The Good Citizen. While her association with the Klan waned in the early 1930s, she continued to promote her ideology of intolerance for religious and racial minorities. She even republished her three Klan books in 1943, three years before her death and 21 years after her initial association with the Klan. The books were published as a three volume set under the name Guardians of Liberty. Notably, the word Klansmen was removed from the title, suggesting White's distancing from the Klan while continuing to promote the dogma that initially drew her to partner with the Klan. Volumes two and three of Guardians of Liberty have introductions by Arthur Kent White, her son and the Pillar of Fire's second general superintendent. Rivalry Time magazine wrote on October 22, 1928: Aimee Semple McPherson spoke ... Worst of all, there came a rival female evangelist from New Jersey, a resolute woman with the mien of an inspired laundress — the Reverend "Bishop" Mrs. Mollie Alma White, founder and primate of the Pillar of Fire Church. Bishop White, who has thousands of disciples ("Holy Jumpers") in the British Isles, clearly regarded Mrs. McPherson as a poacher upon her preserves or worse. Squired by two male Deacons, the Reverend Bishop sat herself down in a box at Albert Hall, with an air of purposing to break up the revival. The dread potency of Bishop White, when aroused against another female, may be judged from her scathing criticisms of the Church of Mary Baker Eddy: "The teachings of the so-called Christian Science Church ... have drawn multitudes from the orthodox faith, and blasted their hopes of heaven! ... A person who is thus in the grip of Satanic power is unable to extricate himself ... is left in utter spiritual desolation." Well might buxom Aimee McPherson have quailed as she faced 2,000 tepid Britons, over 8,000 empty seats, the two Deacons and "Bishop" Mrs. White. Expansion In 1927, a transmitter and radio equipment were installed at Belleview College in Westminster, Colorado to promote the college based in the Westminster Castle. By June 1929, the call letters had been changed to KPOF and the station was broadcasting regular sermons from Alma Temple, the Pillar's Denver Church. In March 1931, WBNY was sold to White and the Pillar of Fire Church for $5,000. The call letters were changed to WAWZ (the letters standing for Alma White, Zarephath. In its initial broadcast, she told listeners, "The station belongs to all regardless of your affiliation." In 1961 Pillar of Fire also started WAKW in Cincinnati. The AKW represents the name of Arthur Kent White, Alma's son. Death She died on June 26, 1946 in Zarephath, New Jersey. See also *Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey Timeline *1862 Birth of Alma White as "Mollie Alma Bridwell" in Kinniconick, Kentucky on June 16 *1870 1870 US Census in Elkfork, Lewis County, Kentucky *1880 1880 US Census in Millersburg, Kentucky *1882 Moved to Bannack, Montana Territory, where she taught school *1887 Marriage to Kent White *1896 Church established in Denver, Colorado *1900 1900 US Census in Denver, Colorado *1901 Methodist Pentecostal Union Church in Denver, Colorado in December *1902 Ordained an Elder in March *1904 "Pentecostal Union Herald" changed to "Pillar of Fire" *1905 (circa) Separates from Methodist Episcopal Church *1907 Creation of community at Zarephath, New Jersey *1909 Separates from husband after he converts to Pentecostalism *1917 Name of church officially changed to "Pillar of Fire" *1918 Ordained as first woman bishop in the United States *1920 Acquires Westminster, Colorado property and opens Westminster University *1920 1920 US Census in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey *1921 Alma White College founded in Zarephath, New Jersey *1924 Publishes Woman's Chains, which is in print until 1970 *1927 KPOF radio station in Westminster, Colorado *1931 WAWZ radio station in Zarephath, New Jersey *1932 Church established in Morrison, Colorado *1946 Death of Alma White on June 27 *1946 Death of Ray Bridwell White on November 5 Publications * *''Demons and Tongues'' (1910) *''The Harp of Gold'' (1911) with Arthur Kent White * (1911) *''The New Testament Church'' (1911–1912) in two volumes *''Truth Stranger Than Fiction'' (1913) *The Titanic Tragedy: God Speaking to Nations (1913) * (1915) * (1917) *''The Story of My Life'' (1919–1930) in five volumes * "The unrepentant Hebrew is everywhere among us today as the strong ally of Roman Catholicism. ... To think of our Hebrew friends with their millions in gold and silver aiding the Pope in his aspirations for world supremacy, is almost beyond the grasp of ... The Jews in New York City openly boast that they have the money and Rome the power, and that if they decide to rule the city and state, ..." * "I believe in white supremacy." * (1927) * "The Jews are as unrelenting now as they were two thousand years ago." *Musings of the Past (1927) *The Voice of Nature (1927) *Hymns and Poems (1931) *Short Sermons (1932) * (1933) *''Demons and Tongues'' (1936) *''The Sword of the Spirit'' (1937) * "Who are members of the Invisible Empire? White, gentile, American-born Protestants (the very best citizens of the United States) ..." Further reading * * *Alma White's Evangelism Press Reports, compiled by C. R. Paige and C.K. Ingler (1939) *Kristin E. Kandt; "Historical Essay: In the Name of God; An American Story of Feminism, Racism, and Religious Intolerance: The Story of Alma Bridwell White", 8 Am. U.J. Gender, Soc. Pol'y & L 753 (2000) * *Lynn S. Neal; "Christianizing the Klan: Alma White, Branford Clarke, and the Art of Religious Intolerance", Church History June 2009 *Alison Green; "Heavenly Dynamite:" Bishop Alma Bridwell White, Women's Rights, and Anti-Catholicism. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Studies Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico. References Images Image:PIllar 01.jpg|''Pillar of Fire'', November 25, 1914 File:Good Citizen Pillar of Fire Church July 1926.jpg|''The Good Citizen, July of 1926 Image:White-Alma 01.jpg|Alma White at various ages Image:almawhitepulpit.jpg|Alma White preaching at the pulpit External links *Images published by Alma White on Flickr * *The Tongues Heresy *Alma White bibliography *Pillar of Fire *Zarephath Christian Church *KPOF Radio *[http://www.Star991fm.com WAWZ-FM ''Star 99.1 Radio] *New Jersey Hall of Shame Category:People from Somerset County, New Jersey Category:People from Lewis County, Kentucky Category:1862 births Category:1946 deaths Category:American evangelicals Category:American religious leaders Category:Ku Klux Klan Category:Anti-Catholicism in the United States Category:Antisemitism Category:Pillar of Fire Church Category:Racism Category:Christian fundamentalism Category:Female bishops